10 Horror Sequels That Turned The Villain Into A Hero

10. John Kramer - Saw X

Now in total fairness, Saw X is both a sequel and a prequel, being set between the first and second Saw movies, but its big, fascinating hook is that it offers up a more sympathetic depiction of the series' antagonist, John Kramer, aka Jigsaw (Tobin Bell).

This time around, Kramer heads to Mexico to undergo an experimental medical procedure that appears to cure his cancer, but alas, he soon comes to learn that he's actually been scammed by the doctor, Cecilia Pederson (Synnøve Macody Lund).

Kramer, who was on the verge of quitting his murderous extracurricular activity when he thought he was cured, suddenly springs back into action, plotting a new series of games designed to test everyone involved in Cecilia's scam. And so, it's never been easier to root for Kramer, who is only torturing and killing scumbags exploiting the terminally ill. 

In Cecilia, the series found an antagonist even more monstrous than John Kramer himself, and while it doesn't erase every depraved thing Kramer would go on to do throughout the series, it was a clever way to reframe the guy as a more heroic character.